


Rock to Tree

by bugzy



Category: A Bug's Life (1998)
Genre: Ants, Caterpillar - Freeform, Coronation, DOT - Freeform, Future, Queen - Freeform, Royalty, abugslife, atta - Freeform, flik - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-08
Updated: 2020-05-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 17:13:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,640
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24080377
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bugzy/pseuds/bugzy
Summary: After the Great Grasshopper War of ‘98, Ant Island entered a time of peace and prosperity never before seen by antkind. Now, more than twenty years later, it is Dot's turn to rule the island and she knows she has some big antennas to fill.
Relationships: Dot & Flik (A Bug's Life)
Kudos: 7





	Rock to Tree

“Okaysoletssee” Atta hurriedly spoke to herself. “I need to oversee initial testing for that antpox vaccine I’ve been hearing about, attend the christening of the Spielants’ new baby at three, look over immigrant approval forms, get our finances ready for tax season, now what am I missing…”

“Oh Atta, dear! Stop your fretting. You shouldn’t be trying to remember anything, what with your sister’s coronation so close.” The Queen chastised her daughter. She worried about Atta worrying too much, which is entirely too counterintuitive in her opinion and why she was so glad to see her taking a step back so that Dot could take the reins. Atta was a great, thoughtful leader, but Dot was strong and fearless in the face of a challenge and not one to let a stressful situation ruin the fun.

“Oh! The coronation! I _knew_ I was forgetting something! Thanks, mother.” Atta said over her shoulder as she ran off. “Now if only I could remember what exactly it was that I needed to do for the coronation…” she mused to herself.

***

It was a rainy day on Ant Island, and Dot shivered as a thunder boom echoed faintly around the chamber followed by a yellow lightning flash. It had been quite a few years since the Great Grasshopper War of ‘98, and Queen Atta had stepped into her new role exquisitely, level-headedly ruling the colony for nearly twenty-two years following Hopper’s demise. Little Dot has grown into a fierce, self-assured young princess known for her particular strength in flying. Queen Mother still enjoyed sunning with her pet, Aphie, and couldn’t wait for the rainy season to end so she could enjoy the warm rays once more. On this particular day, however, she was ready for the rainy season to come to an end for a different reason.

“Dot!” Queen Mother called from the living room of the royal chambers where she had been instructing some workers on how to make the crown Dot would receive when she soon became queen on Ant Island. “Do you like the way the petals flow over the edge of Atta’s crown or do you want a different design?”

“Mom! Why do I have to have a different crown? I want to use the one you and Atta wore.” Dot replied.

“Ah! Look at you! Always did want to be just like your sister. Atta was supposed to get her own crown at her own coronation too, you know, but with the war we didn’t have time to make her one or plan a coronation.” “I just don’t think it’s necessary. You know, with all of the good luck the old one has and everything.”

“Of course it’s necessary! The old one looks like it’s about to disintegrate into dust right on top of Atta’s head. The poor thing has made a nervous habit out of taking her crown off and rubbing its edges. Plus your current crown is Atta’s old one. Getting off on the right foot during your reign is important. Don’t you want something that is special to you?” The Queen would never tell her this, but she worried about Dot’s confidence. Being queen had lent the ant a sharp eye even in old age, and she knew Dot was often made fun as a child of for being the smallest ant in the colony. Dot had spent her life following the footsteps of those before her, and the Queen wanted to ensure she had something to call solely her own with which to start her own rule as queen.

“Yeah, I guess…” Dot replied, mulling over her mother’s words. She was more inclined to agree simply because she knew that her mother, for some weird reason, wouldn’t give up until she agreed to accept her own crown and not a hand-me-down.

“Petals over the edge it is, then! Now I just have to find the perfect flower with the perfect petals…”

“Umph!” Dot groaned as her mother walked away, too engrossed in the exciting task of curating the perfect crown for her youngest child to notice her glumness. It wasn’t that Dot was nervous to take over Ant Island—she remembered just how big of a mess Atta was when she was training to take over the crown and knew _she_ was way more put together than _that_. But along with their mother, Atta had still done great things, including leading the colony to victory during the war, and Dot was nervous that the antennas they left would be a little too big to fill. How could she lead an entire colony of ants when she couldn’t even fly until she was six?

“Well look at who it is!” Dot would recognize that voice anywhere, it was the voice that had helped her see the positive in more bad situations than she could count. Flik walked into the room, a green grass tie around his neck and his trademark smile on his face. “My favorite queen-to-be! What’s wrong?” He asked as he stopped short of an ant he had come to see as his little sister over the twenty-two odd years they had been friends.

“Nothing.” Dot sighed, deflating even more.

“Come on, Dot, you think you can get past me? I know you inside and out and I can tell something is definitely up.”

With another sigh and a slight eye roll, Dot gave in. “I’m just nervous about the coronation, is all. What if I mess up in front of all of the ants that are supposed to follow my leadership? My mom won’t let me just use the crown she and Atta used and I don’t understand why! And it wouldn’t be that big of a deal except for the fact that it’s _my_ crown for _my_ coronation and _my_ life. They don’t even know what I want, they’re too busy planning a coronation nobody will forget.”

“Crazy how things change.” Flik mused. Dot’s eyebrows raised in surprise and interest at what he had to say. “I remember when you were just a tiny ant and all you wanted to do was fly after me as I explored the city. Now you’re all grown up with big problems of your own.”

“Yeah, but my problems don’t matter.” Dot rebutted. “You had a huge mission to accomplish that eventually saved our colony from Hopper and his crickets. All of the problems I ever have are forgetting to feed Aphie or accidentally missing a council meeting I’m supposed to be shadowing.”

“Now, now, don’t put yourself down like that!” Flik clapped Dot’s back “When I first tested my grain harvester, the stalks it chopped down landed right on your sister and knocked her right to the island floor!” Dot failed to hold in her smile and small giggle at the memory. “Now everyone uses a grain harvester because of how efficient it is. Do you think I would have found The Troupe or gotten anything done if I had given up after just one try or bad invention? Because I don’t think I would have.”

Dot threw her hands up. “Okay, so when’s my big break then? When will I have my own ‘grain harvester’ moment”

“I’m still waiting for mine, Dot”

“That is so not true and you know it! After all of the inventions you’ve given the colony since the grain harvester, you’re crazy for even thinking you haven’t had your big break, I can’t even beli-”

“Dot, wai-”

“-ve that you would say such a thing. I mean come on, you made the telescope and bullhorn the same summer you created the grain harvester a-”

“Well, yeah, but-”

“-dn those wing extensions you developed for Heimlich so that he wouldn’t have as much trouble flying was absolutely _genius_! And don’t even get me started on the tunnel digger that has helped us _triple_ our colony's land in half the time! And-”

“ _Okay_! I get it! Maybe I have had my big break after all. But you know what? I never gave up hope that it would come. Don’t you remember how often I would get made fun of by other ants? And how many times you bravely stuck up to me because you believed in me? Well, now it’s my time to stick up for you.” Flick bent down and began searching the floor for something.

“Flick, what are you doing?” Dot confusedly looked after him as he searched.

“One second… no… no… not that one either… hmmm… almost got the perfect one, I can feel it.”

“The perfect what?”

“Ah! There we go.” Realization dawned on her as Flik straightened up and handed her the object he had chosen. She smiled and felt its smooth sides and its sturdy, reliable weight.

“I need you to pretend this is a seed.” he said.

“Rock to tree…” Dot said, remembering all those years ago when Flik had tried to cheer her up after she was bullied for not being able to fly.

“Rock to tree.” Flik assured her. “If the you I knew back then could only see the tree you have become today.”

“Thanks.” said Dot. She chuckled and as an afterthought mumbled “although I’m pretty sure she would have been too mad that you just called her a rock to notice.”

“That’s the spirit!” Flik smiled, jumped up, and put two legs on his hips. “Well I’m beat. How about some lunch?”

It _had_ been a busy morning and Dot had forgotten to eat breakfast before the fitting. She tucked the rock into her side and started following Flik to the kitchens. “You know, I find it pretty hard to believe you couldn’t find _one_ seed that day. We’re _ants_ for crying out loud!”

“Alright, alright, but the point got across didn’t it?”

“Yeah” Dot laughed “twenty years later!”


End file.
